Beyond, The Promised Land
by CalDawg
Summary: Following promises of Wealth and Riches, a young S.T.A.L.K.E.R enters the Zone to seek his fortunes, as so many before him did.
1. Arrival

The ground flew past beneath me, the dirt and gravel road only inches from my head, which dangled out of my perch. The military truck, a rusty Ural, was travelling at a high speed through the empty countryside. This once fertile farmland was now littered with pockets of radiation and other hidden dangers. From my makeshift platform on the truck's undercarriage, I could see collapsed farmsteads, and the occasional abandoned town. The outskirts of The Zone just a bleak picture of what was to come. The truck slowed to a stop, and voices emanated from above me. Heavy combat boots hit the ground one after the other as the soldiers dismounted the truck. Silently, I crawled off my makeshift hiding place, which consisted of some thick straps tied between the truck's chassis. My breathing shallow, I crawled towards the back of the truck. The soldiers who had dismounted were making their way to the front of the truck. Beyond that I could not see. The engine of the Ural shuddered to a stop, and all was quiet, but for the marching sounds of the Soldiers boots. Swiftly I crawled out from under the truck, and I took a look at the surrounding land.

The truck had stopped in a shallow valley, bordered on both sides by thick forest. From around the corner of the truck I could see the soldiers were marching towards a checkpoint embedded in a thick razor wire fence. Sandbags and concrete barriers made up the majority of the structure, and a metal gate spanned the width of the road. The soldiers marched up to the gate and the leader spoke to the guards. While they talked, I pulled my pack off, and opened one of the pockets. Next to spare magazines rested a Makarov PM, an old Russian service pistol. I slid a magazine into the receiver and then pulled the slide back. It clicked into place with a metallic sound, and I slid the pistol into my holster. By the time I had finished, the guards were opening the gate. I quickly counted them. Three guards on foot, one on a machinegun and an eight man squad who were passing through the gate. When the military patrol had passed through the gate it closed, and one of the guards approached the Ural. He walked casually smoking a cigarette, his weapon holstered. I quickly slithered into the tray of the Ural, the canvas cover concealing me. The truck shook slightly as the guard opened the driver door. Through a small window into the cabin I watched the guard climb into the driver's seat. From my pack I produced a rusty silencer, the receiving end glinting from lubricant I had applied to it. The silencer screwed onto the end of my Makarov and I went back to watching. The guard turned the key, and the Urals engine sputtered into life with a roar. The gearbox crunched as he pushed it into first gear and began to drive forward. He pulled the truck in next to the gate, across from the fortification. I watched the guard turn the key, and the truck fell silent. With a steady hand I held the silenced pistol against the small cabin window. With a light squeeze I pulled the trigger. The pistol kicked back, but made no more sound then a footstep. The pullet punctured the glass window and it entered the guard's skull from the back. The sequential exit wound left a bullet hole in the dashboard, and a mixture of brain, gore and bone littering the interior of the cabin.

"Did you hear that?" Asked a voice.

Another voice laughed and said. "Wasili is just trying to scare us."

Footsteps approached the Ural, and I heard a man draw breath quickly, in shock. Before he could speak I threw my body against the canvas cover of the tray. The material tore under my weight, and I fell sprawled against the guard, who was looking at the Ural from a few steps back. He cried out loudly as landed on top of him. During my fall I had dropped my Pistol, so I tore my knife from its holster and I plunged it into his chest. The guard cried out, but ceased to struggle. The other guard was already leaping for his weapon, which was leaning against a table. In a race of life or death I stood from atop the dead guard, and I sprinted at the second guard, but I was too late. He reached his weapon and went to level it at me, but in a desperate attempt I threw my knife at him. The blade glinted with fresh blood as it arced through the air towards the man. Before he could fire a single shot, the blade caught him in the throat. Blood fountained from the fresh wound in his neck, and he fell to his knees, holding his neck. His gun clattered to the ground, him following. I stopped dead in my tracks and I leant over, supporting myself on my knees.

"That was too close" I said to myself, standing. From the ground next to the Ural I retrieved my Pistol, and from next to the expired guard I retrieved my knife, wiping it clean on the guard's uniform. The gate sat on a rusty wheel, which supported its weight. With a pull I managed to open it to some degree, and then I slipped through the gate into the land beyond. Into the Zone.


	2. Travels

It didn't take long for me to catch up to the Military patrol, and from a thicket of trees I watched them. The sun was setting behind the silhouette of a destroyed Barn on a hilltop, and the patrol had made camp in a valley. The majority sat around a campfire, using bedrolls as chairs. Two of them stood guard, Their AK-74 Assault rifles slung over their soldiers. Through their masked military helmets they surveyed the surrounding lands. Stories told too well of the dangers lurking in the Zone. I sat cross-legged, my pack open in front of me. Inside I found three cans of food, two canteens of dirty tasting water. Bandages, a bright orange First Aid kit and a few magazines for my Pistol. In the breast pocket of my Flecktarn combat gear I found my compass, but my satellite phone was gone, along with my box of matches and some other gear. I had made it to the zone, but the dangers were just beginning. My gasmask was hanging from my neck, and I decided it was time to start using it. I lowered my hood and strapped the mask to my face, replacing my hood. The visor on the mask allowed me unobstructed view, but was slightly cracked in one corner from my fight with the guards. I sat in silence for a while, letting my eyes adjust to the newfound darkness before standing. I needed to find shelter for the night, or even some other Stalkers. I walked slowly through the trees, avoiding bushes and sticks, until I reached the edge of the treeline. Beyond I could see the road, which wound alongside a creek. Staying low I crept down the hill. When I hit the road I increased my speed. Along the road ahead I could see a group of houses. In the distance, just outside the town I could see what looked like a body. As I approached I could gradually make out the sound of a mechanical beeping. Slow and steady. I approached the body carefully and examined it. The man had succumbed to a bullet wound in the head, and I searched his body for the source of the beeping. On his belt sat a small yellow device, marked in black as a "Anomaly Detector."  
I detached the detector from his belt and studied it as I walked towards the town. The beeping increased in speed until it beeped violently. I stopped dead in my tracks and looked around. Amongst some rubble behind me I found a steel bolt, attached to some wood. I picked it up and threw the whole lot in front of me. The Steel bolt hit _something _in front of me, and it set of a huge reaction. With a loud whir and bang the bolt flew up into the air in a vortex of blue energy. I stepped back and watched in awe.  
"An anomaly" I said to myself, breathless at the beauty of its destructive abilities. I stepped away and backtracked to the corpse. Slowly I skirted the houses, listening carefully for the telltale beep of my Detector. Carefully I entered the group of houses through a gap in the houses. When my detector didn't beep, I approached a house. Something moved inside, and I stepped back in shock. I stood frozen to the spot, slowly reaching for my Makarov. Suddenly, a loud noise emanated from within, and something came sprinting for the door. I whipped my pistol out and I aimed it at the… rats. I swore loudly and I turned on my torch, which was attached to my belt. The light pointed wherever I faced, and it danced around as I walked slowly into the house, which consisted of four rooms. The main room was empty, bar from piles of rubble in the corners. In the bedrooms remained only rusty bedframes, and a rotten chest of drawers. The shutters on the windows were closed, keeping the wind which was picking up from getting in. With a sigh I set my pack down on the floor next to the door, and I sat against the wall opposite. I closed my eyes slowly and tried to sleep. I was in for a big day. The road led into an area known as "The Cordon," where I would try to find help, and most importantly Information. As sleep began to claim me, I heard a sound. The crunching of feet on gravel, and then the beeping of an Anomaly Detector. My eyes flicked open, and I reached for my pistol.


	3. Encounter

I sat frozen in place beneath a windowsill. A chorus of Anomaly Detectors was ringing out from the direction I had come. I heard voices, and then hurried footsteps. The beeping ceased, and I could hear voices skirting the houses in the same fashion I had. The footsteps closed in, and then shadows reached through the window I was hiding beneath. The shadows resembled people, and I peeked out to see the military squad assembled outside. I held my breath and I sunk back under the cover of the windowsill.  
"Spread out and check the houses. And be careful of Anomalies." Said a gruff, filtered voice.  
A shadow appeared in the doorway, and a soldier entered the room. I leapt at him, sending him falling to the ground under my weight. With a quick movement, I snapped his neck.  
"Mutants!" Shouted a soldier.  
A shot cracked through the wall of the house and it embedded itself in the wall above me. Swiftly, I moved back into cover. More shouting followed, and I decided to take advantage of the confusion. Holstering my pistol, I drew my knife. Knife in hand I sprinted out of the house into the group of soldiers. They cried out as I tackled through them. I managed to stab one in the stomach as I tackled through, taking refuge in a house across the road. A hail of fire followed my retreat, and bullets rained around me as I leapt into cover behind an Oven. More shouting followed, and I whipped my Pistol out of its holster. Leaning out the doorway, I shot a three round burst into the group of soldiers, and two men fell, joining the one I had stabbed. Three to go.

One of the soldiers said something, and then he laughed. I froze, confused. A metal object hit the ground next to me, and I snapped out of my confusion. A grenade. I leapt up in a frenzy and I sprinted out the door, to be met by the three Soldiers. One shot, and I felt an impact in my torso, which made me stumble, but I stood and I stopped dead. The explosion behind me made the ground shake, but I stood dead still. The guards aimed their rifles at me, and one stepped forward. "Hands behind your head. Get on the ground. Now."  
I followed his orders, and I placed my hands behind my head and I lowered myself to my knees. The soldier threw my hood of and removed my Gasmask, which he threw aside. One of the soldiers took my hands and he tied them behind my back, dragging me to my feet.  
"Let's get him to the base." The leader said.  
"What about the others?" One of the soldiers asked.  
"Leave them." The leader answered. The leader looked around at the dark landscape, and then looked at me. "I am going to enjoy putting a bullet in your head." He said. He began laughing, and he brought his hand back to hit me. I closed my eyes, but nothing came. A spat of liquid hit my face, and I opened my eyes to see the leader lying on the ground, dead. The two remaining soldiers scattered, leaving me in the middle of the road. I ducked for the cover. Only then did I realise I had been shot. Blood ran down my chest, and a massive pain seared through my torso.  
The soldiers cried out as automatic weapons fire cut them down, and a new group of soldiers arrived on the scene.  
"Come out, Stalker!" Shouted a voice. I stood from my hiding place and I approached them. One of them shined a torch in my eyes.  
"He is hit." Said another voice. A man approached me, and his figure blocked the torchlight from shining in my eyes. The man had rough, wrinkled skin and tired eyes. He smiled slightly and extended a hand.  
"Welcome to the Zone, Stalker. My name is Grouch." He said.  
When he realised my hands were tied, he grabbed my arm and cut the rope with a knife.  
I extended a hand and we shook hands.  
"I'm Yuri." I said.  
Grouch laughed. "We'll need to get you a nickname!" He said "But first, we need to get you cleaned up."  
I looked at the rest of the group, and then back to Grouch.  
I had found my Stalkers.


	4. Recovery

I must have blacked out during the trip, because I awoke in a dimly lit bunkhouse, a pressure bandage wrapped tight around my torso. The sound of snoring echoed from the other end of the bunkhouse, and outside I could hear laughter and a tune playing on a guitar. I sat up with a groan, and I rubbed my eyes. My pack sat on the floor next to me, my combat jacket lying next to it. I looked down at my chest to see the bandage soaked red, and I winced. With great effort I stood and stretched my arms. The snoring stopped, and some coughing erupted. A bunk creaked and I looked to see an older man climbing out. He rubbed his eyes and looked at me.  
"Are you the one they brought in last night?" He asked me, yawning.  
I nodded, and asked. "What happened?"  
He looked at me as if I was stupid. "You were haemorrhaging blood when they brought you in." He said. "You almost died of blood loss, you're lucky we have such a skilled surgeon."  
I looked at him in shock. "I will have to thank him when I get a chance."  
The man nodded. "I'm Bear, and you must be…" He trailed off as if my name was on the tip of his tongue.  
"Yuri." I said.  
He nodded. "That's right!" He pointed to my gear. "You might want to get into your gear, I'll meet you outside and we can go speak to Grouch."

Fully dressed, I met Bear outside the Bunkhouse, which was a crumbling wood structure.  
"Welcome to our humble home." He said, raising his arms.  
The base consisted of two garage structures, the bunkhouse and a two story house. In the yard between the building a group of Stalkers sat huddled around a campfire, one playing on an aged acoustic guitar. Bear led me over to the group, and he introduced me. Met with a chorus of "Hi's" and "Welcome's," I smiled. Bear said farewell to them, and he led me over to the two story building. We entered through the front door into what would have been a dining room. The Kitchen had been converted into and operating room, and a tall man stood at the sink cleaning tools and blades.  
I approached him and said. "Doc?"  
He turned and smiled. "Oh, hello. You seem to have made a miraculous recovery. You lost a lot of blood." He said.  
"I just came to thank you." I said.  
"Not a problem, it's my job." He said.  
And with that, I left him to what he was doing, joining Bear at the bottom of the staircase. Bear led the way up, leading me into a well lit room with Radio equipment spanning along one wall. Grouch sat at a desk, messing with a radio.  
"Aah, Yuri, you are just in time!" He said, looking intently at the radio. "We sent out a patrol to check out something, and they haven't returned."  
Bear left, leaving me with Grouch. "How can I help?" I asked him.  
Grouch shook his head. "This radio has given up the ghost, and we need to contact them." He said, looking at me intently. "I need you to visit the abandoned factory north of here. I think there is electronic parts there." He said.  
"Okay, when do you want me to head off?" I asked.  
"As soon as possible, we need to get in contact with the patrol as soon as we can, they are collecting important information."  
"Okay." I said. "Where can I get gear?"  
"One of the garages has our Mess Hall in it, the other is the Armoury. Talk to Boomer." He answered. As I turned to leave, Grouch said. "We still need to get you a nickname!"  
I laughed and left the room, making my way down the stairs.

The Armoury smelt of melted metal and cordite as I stepped through the door. A man sat at a bench, reloading some empty bullets. I approached him, and he turned, pistol in hand.  
"Oh." He said. "It's you."  
He replaced his pistol on the bench. "What do you need?" He asked.  
"Grouch sent me to get some gear." I replied cautiously. He stood from his stool and he led me over to a group of thick metal cabinets. From one he retrieved and AK-74U, the compact variant of the AK-74, and a .45 Calibre Pistol. He handed them to me, and he retrieved some ammunition.  
"This should do. You know how to use it, right?" He asked.  
I nodded, grinning slightly.

Bear met me at the gate to the Base compound, holding my pack.  
"All your stuff is there and we have given you some extra bandages and med kits." He said, handing me the pack. I shouldered it, and I thanked him for his help.  
"Good luck out there, and try not to get shot." He said.  
I laughed and I stepped through the rusty gate out into the rough, untamed wilderness of the Zone.  
"Be careful of mutants!" Bear called out. "The Abandoned Factory is chock full of them!"


	5. Errands

The factory stood in silence, its bricked walls cracked, its wooden supports rotting. Remnants of a once bustling economy, shattered by the CNPP incident. From my vantage point behind a rotting tree I could see into the yards and sub structures around the factory. The factory itself sat as the central structure, with a few smaller, crumbling workshops around the outside. The main door into the Factory itself had crumbled inwards, rendering it impassable, and the only other entrance I could see into the factory was a pipeline suspended some twenty metres in the air. The pipeline ran down from the topmost floor of the factory into one of the workshops, which had roof access. The yard itself was rather quiet, but strange noises emanated from the factory itself, as well as the occasional creak from the aged supports. Carefully, I made my way down a muddy embankment towards the factory itself, keeping an eye out for movement, or the tell-tale distortion of a cloaked Bloodsucker. Muddy grass gave way to cracked paving as I neared the workshop. A clanking erupted from within the Workshop, and a distortion flashed past in my peripheral vision.

I gasped, levelling my weapon. The cry of a Bloodsucker rang out from behind me, and I turned to face it. The distortion closed in, and I aimed my Weapon. The Bloodsucker uncloaked, rearing its arm back to strike. I squeezed the trigger, and the AK opened up, kicking back with the fully automatic fire. The bullets struck the Bloodsucker, but it kept coming.  
Its swinging arm hit me, and I flew backwards into the wall of the workshop. From my holster I drew my .45 and I aimed it at its tentacled face. With a squeeze of the trigger, The pistol kicked back, sending a .45 ACP round slamming into the Bloodsucker's face. It's head exploded in a mess of gore, and it's headless body slumped to the ground.  
Slowly, I stood. Brushing dust of my clothes, I retrieved my AK from where I had been standing.  
The interior of the Workshop reeked, and I felt my breathing becoming laboured. I left the darkness, and I pulled on my Gasmask. Flicking on my light, I re-entered. A foul gas hung in the air, and my light played off the benches and equipment. At the end of the workshop a ladder led onto the roof. The pipeline entered through a hole in the wall of the Workshop, and it curved into the ground. A rupture in the pipeline seeped the foul gas into the enclosed chamber. I moved through the workshop looking out for more creatures, breathing steadily to stop the screen of my gasmask from fogging up with condensation. I climbed the rusty ladder carefully, wary of its crumbling state.

The rooftop was cracked and rubble covered, and grass and shrubs grew in the cracks. Over the edge of the workshop, I could easily step down onto the pipeline, which inclined slowly up to the factory.  
Stepping carefully, I jumped down onto the pipeline. The pipe rang out with a dull ring when I landed on it, and some birds who had been resting on it further up flew for cover. I carefully made my way up the pipeline, hands levelled for balance. The pipe led up to the wall of the Factory's top floor, where it passed through a hole that only the pipe could fit through. However a metal bracing ran around the outside of the factory above a catwalk. When I reached the top of the pipe, I leant out cautiously, grabbing a hold of the decayed bracing. Taking a deep breath, I stepped off the pipe. The bracing supported my weight, and I began to climb around the side of the factory, until I found myself above the catwalk. Taking another deep breath I dropped down onto the catwalk.

I hit the catwalk with a crunch, and the catwalk immediately began creaking as the rusty supports began to give way. Quickly as I could, I leapt through the doorway into the factory itself, just as the catwalk fell away with a snap. The catwalk hit the ground far below with a smash, and the impact sent it spiralling into the wall of the factory. The metal beams of the catwalk smashed through the cracked brickwork, creating me a perfect exit. I laughed and turned around to the challenge ahead of me. I was in the foreman's office, suspended up above the actual factory complex. The pipeline entered the factory and it led down into a massive machine in the centre of the factory itself. A Snork stumbled about on the factory floor, investigating the loud crash from the catwalk. A staircase spiralled down from the foreman's office, stopping at doorways occasionally, which most likely were storerooms and internal workshops. Firstly, I searched the foreman's desk. Inside one of his drawers I found a box of matches and a packet of Transistors, which I put in my pack. Sifting through paperwork, I found a shipping order that detailed the removal of most of the electronics to a workshop nearby. I folded the shipping order up, and I placed it into my pocket. As I began to descend the staircase, my Anomaly detector began beeping, and I looked down the staircase to see some sort of distortion moving up and down the staircase. The anomaly moved back and forth in front of one of the storerooms. I approached the anomaly, and my detector beeped furiously, until the anomaly moved away. When the anomaly moved I sprinted into the storeroom, just as the anomaly moved back past.

The storeroom was pitch black, but for the thin beam of light cast by my torch. I searched through the shelves and found only a small box of circuit boards, which I put in my pack. I returned to the doorway and waited for the Anomaly to pass, before bolting out the door down the staircase. The rest of the storerooms contained nothing but musty and rotting cardboard boxes. When I reached the bottom floor, I looked around carefully for the Snork, which had disappeared. I stepped off the metal staircase onto the cold, concrete floor and I looked around. The foul gas hung on the floor, at about knee height and below that I cloud not see much. A few benches scattered the area. On them sat soldering equipment and other tools. I approached on of the benches, passing the giant machine, when I heard a blood curdling cry.

The Snork launched itself at me from behind the machine. I dove forward, dodging the Snork's attack. Standing, I aimed my AK at the Snork, which was recovering from the jump, and I emptied the last of my Magazine into it. The Snork slumped over, dead. Ejecting the spent magazine, I loaded a new one. The benches were empty, but I gathered up some of the tools and other useful things I found. I made my way for the hole in the factory wall, made by the catwalk, and I climbed through into the sunlight. From there I decided to check the Warehouse that the shipping order mentioned, so I headed up into the hills, crossing the countryside in the direction of the warehouse. I found the Warehouse nestled in a clearing, surrounded by trees. Human figures stood guard, and as I approached, one of them aimed his rifle at me.  
"Put your weapon away, Stalker." He said. I shouldered my AK and approached, hands in the air.  
"What is your business here?" he asked.  
"I am looking for electronic parts. Wires, circuit boards and the like." I replied.  
The man lowered his gun. "Follow me." He said. I examined him, and the uniforms of the others in the warehouse. They all wore black trenchcoats, and wore balaclavas.

The Man led me into a room were another man stood behind a desk. He looked like the leader.  
"Take all his gear." Said the Leader. The other man closed in to take my gear, but as he approached I whipped out my knife and stabbed him. Blood fountained from the fresh wound, and I ripped my knife from his belly. The Leader reached for his weapon but from my holster I pulled my .45 and I shot him. Shouts erupted from the warehouse as I jumped over the desk, flipping it over. Resting my AK on the edge of the desk, I opened up on the Bandits entering the room. From behind the desk I moved next to the door, from where I let out bursts at the bandits, who rushed in to attack me. In only a few minutes fighting, I managed to dispatch them all. The main warehouse structure consisted of a long tall shed lined with shelves. The shelves were lined with boxes, all containing electrical supplies.  
"Jackpot!" I said, marking the location on my Map.

Bear met me at the gate. "What did you find?" He asked.  
When I met the question with a huge smile, he knew I didn't need to answer, and instead he accompanied me to Grouch's office. Grouch sat in the same place he had been sitting in when I left.  
When I entered the room, he looked up and his expression lightened.  
"What did you find?" He asked.  
I retrieved the Transistors and circuit boards from my pack and I handed them to him.  
"Anything else?" He asked.  
"Yes, this." I said, placing my map on the table. "There is a warehouse here." I pointed to my mark on the map. "That contains boxes on boxes of electrical supplies."  
Grouch nodded. "You've done well. Come back later while I try to fix this." He said.  
I nodded and left, Bear following.  
"Well done." Bear said as we descended the stairs.  
As we left the house, one of the Stalkers ran up to us.  
"Bear, Yuri, you must help!" He said.  
"What is the problem?" Bear asked.  
"Sacha is stuck on the roof at the northern outpost, Pseudodogs have attacked and we need help!"  
Bear looked at me. "Well, let's get to it."


End file.
